Political Quotes

“I rise with my colleagues, Senators Grassley, Capito, and Durbin to introduce the Using Data to Prevent Opioid Diversion Act. This legislation provides additional tools to drug manufacturers and distributors to better enable them to determine when orders of opioids are suspicious. It also provides additional tools for law enforcement to hold manufacturers and distributors who fail to identify, report, and stop suspicious orders of opioids accountable. Between 2006 and 2016, nearly 21 million opioids were distributed to two pharmacies in Williamson, West Virginia, which has a population of nearly 3,000. Even worse, between 2007 and 2008, nearly 9 million pills were distributed to a single pharmacy in Kermit, West Virginia, which has a population of only 392. In total, between 2007 and 2012, 780 million oxycodone and hydrocodone pills--two powerful opioids--were distributed to pharmacies throughout West Virginia. These two drugs contributed to 1,700 drug overdose deaths in the state. All of this happened despite the fact that opioid manufacturers and distributors are required to detect and disclose suspicious orders of opioids to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). They are also required to keep complete and accurate records relating to the sale, delivery, or disposal of opioids through the Automated Reports and Consolidated Ordering System, often referred to as ARCOS.…”